"You never got over her. You just left. "
Erik "Fish" Fiskare loves the theatre, but his guarded nature prefers backstage to center stage. While studying stagecraft at college, his spotlight turns on a talented dancer named Marguerite "Daisy" Bianco. Soon, Erik is drawn into a first love as soulful as it is passionate. For two years, the romance thrives within a tight-knit circle of artists and friends. Then a newcomer arrives: James, a brilliant but erratic dancer with a misguided infatuation and a burning desire to belong.
Rejection sets James on a course for destruction and when the smoke clears, Erik's world lies in ruins. He soon discovers that in the face of heartache, grief and betrayal, love is not always enough to make you stay. And sometimes, it's the only thing that can bring you back.
Spanning fifteen years and following a man's thrilling emotional journey back to the truth of himself, Laqueur's debut novel explores the dark side of devotion and the futility of running from one's past. The Man I Love is an epic tale of love and forgiveness that will linger long after the last page is turned.
Gold medal, Best Debut Author
"I believe the very essence of a blockbuster story happens before the author has put pen to paper. The premise percolates as a memory and its calling haunts the subconscious. When the plot finally rises above the subconscious, so has the time come to write and a gifted writer knows the moment. This is who Ms. Laqueur is: a truly gifted writer connected to the words she writes."
"Five stars. A fabulous first novel. Laqueur's story is written so elegantly, so beautifully and so deliciously... Readers will be grasping this book, begging to know more, until the final page is devoured."
Gold medal, Realistic Fiction
"Five stars. The Man I Love by Suanne Laqueur joins the handful of truly spectacular books I've read this year. The writing is gorgeous, each passage has a sort of rhythm that flows beautifully, drawing you deeper and deeper into Daisy and Erik's story."
"Five stars. Get ready to be wowed, because Suanne Laqueur's novel is something extraordinary. Beautifully written, it touches on subjects that are deeply ingrained in our culture psyche, and explores them with humility and sensitivity."
"An affirmation of the transformative power of love, a conduit to getting lost in an intricate landscape of intimacy, and a masterfully crafted reminder that life is not a dress rehearsal."
